| back to black | {g. weasley}

[ twenty-six ]

"My mothers eyes," Harry finishes for him with a smile.

Sirius mirrors the upward motions of his lips, but in a more painful manner. His hands drop into his lap. "It's cruel that I got so much time with Lily and James... and you so little." He reaches up and taps Harry's chest, "but they're always in here."

Harry's smile falls more solemnly upon his face now. "Maybe one day you can tell me about them..."

"That I will..." Sirius promises. "Now... could I have a moment with my daughter?"

Harry turns his head to Evelyn. "Of course..." He stands to find Hermione and Sirius turns to face the girl looking down at him like he's a ghost.

"You look a lot like your mother," he whispers. "15 and you're already such a beautiful young woman... with some serious power, apparently."

Evelyn bites her lip nervously, her eyes still glossed with tears.

"Now, now, Bug," he reaches to cup her cheek and wipe a tear away with her thumb. "It's alright, you don't have to cry," he tells her while holding in some of his own tears.

"I'm sorry," she frets.

Sirius tilts his head at her. "For what?"

"For not wanting to know who you were... for believing this whole year that I was the child of a cold-blooded murderer," she admits. "I should have known better, nothing is ever as simple as the Ministry tells it, especially when You-Know-Who is involved."

"Oh, Evelyn," he holds her still, bringing her hesitant eyes to his. "Nothing to be sorry for. There's no way you could've known."

Evelyn nods and sniffles. She tilts her head back to stop the tears from flowing and she tries to gather herself. "Part of me knew," she tells him, bringing her head down. "I'd found this book," she tells him, "a diary by a girl who went here and she wrote about you... you and Professor Lupin and Harry's dad."

Sirius' face lights up in the immediate recognition of what dairy she's speaking of. "Lily Evans," he says.

Evelyn nods quickly, "L. Evans—" She pauses, the first name clicking. "Oh my Godrick, that's Harry's mum."

"She always had that damned thing with her... never told us what she was writing."

Evelyn smiles a little. "So that means everything she wrote is true," she proposes. "About you having a younger brother, about Lupin being my God Father?"

Sirius nods. "Remus is your God Father," he tells her. "Bastard nearly killed James for that role, but your mum quite liked Remus. They were always very sweet to one another in passing..." Then his expression drops. "As for your uncle... he passed just months after you were born."

"Oh," Evelyn breathes, "I'm sorry."

He looks up at her, "I'm sorry too... and I'm sorry for leaving you. If I'd known what would have happened—"

"It's okay," Evelyn says quickly. "James and Lily were like family to you... I know what that feels like."

"Doesn't make it any better," Sirius says. He stands and Evelyn follows. "You didn't deserve to grow up without me."

Evelyn shrugs, "I'm not done growing up."

He pulls her into a tight hug. "I guess I'll have to stick around."

+++

Walking back into the infirmary, the three are greeted by a very confused Ron and a fairly upset George.